- Date
- August 23, 2025, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Livermore Falls, ME · Turf runway
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N170JLCessna 170B
- Defining event
- Landing: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 30, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20250823012059A
- Case key
- 200879
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed during landing in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that purpose of the flight was to conduct two takeoffs and landings as part of a short takeoff and landing (STOL) competition. Runway 20 was in use, with winds from the south at 5 knots, gusting to 10 knots. Following the second takeoff, ground personnel advised the pilot that wind conditions had increased. During the second landing, at an altitude of about 20 ft above ground level (agl), the pilot inadvertently allowed the airplane’s airspeed to decay as it approached the intended touchdown point, and the left wing stalled. He attempted to correct for the stalled condition but was unable to regain control of the airplane. A spectator positioned near the accident site recorded the accident sequence. Review of the spectator-recorded video showed the airplane descending from about 20 ft agl in a nose-up attitude. The left wing dropped and contacted the ground, and the airplane rotated to the left. The nose subsequently impacted the ground, and the airplane continued to rotate left and came to rest about 180° from its original direction of flight. The airplane’s left wing and fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N170JL
- Reported as
- Cessna 170B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25560
- Built
- 1953
- Airframe hours
- 4,795
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 10, 2025 · 52 hours before
- Departed
- B10 · Livermore Falls, ME
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- B10 · Bowman Field Airport, runway 20, 2,201 × 120 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Angle of attack indicator, Data recorder, Electronic multifunction display, Stall warning system
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,818 total · 1,219 in this make and model · 1,818 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- AUG, 16 nm away
- METAR
- KAUG 231853Z AUTO VRB06G20KT 10SM CLR 29/12 A2998 RMK AO2 SLP151 T02940122 PWINO
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 30, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 13.2 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.